KNOWING one in 10 Australians suffer from depression, SAHMRI researcher Dr Michael Musker wants to change the way we treat mental illness.

He moved into clinical research after 30 years as a mental health nurse.

“There are about 22 current antidepressants on the PBS system,” Dr Musker said.

“Often when we use these medications in clinical practice, we’re not really sure which one is going to work for you. So many patients have to go through a number of changes in medication before they get the right one, which can be quite distressing.”

The future is personalised medicine, where a simple blood test will guide a medical practitioner to select the best antidepressant for a smooth and speedy recovery.

Dr Musker hopes South Australians of the future will also be better prepared to deal with stress through efforts to build resilience and improve wellbeing.

“We’re trying to inoculate people from stress by developing a positive mental health model,” he said.

“We use techniques like mindfulness and also just positive ways to think and feel better, and basically build resilience into your life.”

The Wellbeing and Resilience Centre at SAHMRI uses the positive psychology approach of former Adelaide Thinker in Residence Professor Martin Seligman.